Backing up to PC

[margek49]

I have followed advice about backing up to PC but I am still not sure about connecting device without HOME. When I connect device it asks if I want to connect to computer and I answer YES. Then it automatically opens HOME. Then I have to exit HOME in order to look at the files on my device in Windows Explorer. Is this the correct method I am using or is there a way of connecting without HOME?
Thanks
Margek49

 

[canderson]

It is possible to keep Home from running when the matching USB device (your TomTom) is connected (a couple of different Windows tricks will accomplish that), but the technique you are using is what most of us do as a matter of course. You don't have to shut Home down in order to look at things on your TomTom. You can always tell it not to do whatever update it is thinking about doing and just minimize it to the toolbar. But if you don't need Home for a particular session, just hit the "X" when it gives you the chance after looking for updates.

 

[dhn]

Marge.......

When you first install Home, by default, it is set to open when the unit is connected to the computer. I **hate** that it is set that way.

In Home's menu: Tools-->Preferences-->General tab, I have UNchecked 'Start Home automatically....".

When I need Home, I start it with a shortcut on my desktop (or if you don't have a shortcut), then by Start-->Programs--Tomtom-->TT Home2

 

[canderson]

Marge.......

When you first install Home, by default, it is set to open when the unit is connected to the computer. I **hate** that it is set that way.

In Home's menu: Tools-->Preferences-->General tab, I have UNchecked 'Start Home automatically....".

When I need Home, I start it with a shortcut on my desktop (or if you don't have a shortcut), then by Start-->Programs--Tomtom-->TT Home2

You and I spend about 1000% more time looking at the internals of our TomToms than the normal user. Most of the "normal" people out there are plugging it in only because they're looking for updates or doing something with "Operate My Go", both of which require firing up Home. (What, we're NOT normal???) So from the perspective of the typical user, it makes sense that TomTom set up the autorun option in Windows to launch the application when the USB connect is detected. That can be avoided either with Home (which will tweak the registry itself) or by using the Windows "Do Nothing" autorun option on the drive letter that the TomTom represents.

When I'm playing "help desk" here, I most often find that there's no reason to hook up a unit to the computer to jog my memory on something. I'll look at a saved image of the unit on my PC (those Explorer backups are good for more than just emergencies!), or just turn the thing on to recall what a menu sequence is. I don't use the dock for charging.

 

[dhn]

Your point is well taken, canderson.

I still find it intrusive, just as supposedly closing Home still leaves it residing in the Notification Area.

 

[canderson]

Your point is well taken, canderson.

I still find it intrusive, just as supposedly closing Home still leaves it residing in the Notification Area.

Ah, you mean that little icon in the lower right? I don't understand why they find it necessary to leave a "quick launcher" running, either. It's just a waste of perfectly good memory. Home doesn't take that long to load, and the rest of the features can all be accessed with a quick shot to their web site. Some application designer's idea, or the crack application product managers at TomTom think that one up? I have the same problem with HP and their "Digital Imaging Monitor" - they play the same games.

 

[margek49]

Thanks folks for several solutions. I guess I am one of the "not normal" users. I like to know how my Tom Tom thinks and works (rather strange ideas at times) and I also hate being regimented by a computer program. I find HOME rather slow to load and I have a fast PC and would rather avoid it if I just want to do a quick backup of an itinerary etc. I really want to treat TT as an external hard drive at times but I wasn't sure if just using the disconnect icon on the system tray was all I needed to disconnect.
Thanks again
Margek

 

[dhn]

Some of the biggest problems users have is disconnecting their units from Home before data is finished getting written to the flash drives.

Home's Device Disconnect icon helps to alleviate that problem. When you click on it and the screen appears saying it is ok to disconnect your device, then still wait about 5-10 seconds and then it is ok to disconnect.

Home does have various issues (to put it mildly). In fact, one of our Supermods, Mikealder, when he is in a gracious mood, calls Home "The work of the devil"

So, yes, anything a user can do that avoids Home is wise.

 

[croxtom]

I guess I also am not a normal user. I noticed the start Home automatically option but didn?t unselect it until now, I don?t like Home in the notification tray every time windows starts. However why would you want to connect your device to you PC if you are not going to update it for which I assume you need Home.

The issue I am having is that the ?operate my XL? option in home does not work. I have reinstalled home from TomTom, portable GPS car navigation systems and also installed home from the device on a different PC with the same result. Both PCs are running XP. Tomtom support have been no help (all support from them, for this or other issues with the device, has wasted hrs ? been obviously wrong ? caused additional issues which I have then resolve by my self and by reading this forum). The error message states ?this functionality is not yet supported for your combination of navigation device, your device?s application version and you computer?s operating system.? Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution. It is worth noting that this has not worked from new, or maybe one week old, with this unit.

 

[dhn]

You do not say what model unit you have. If it is a 540 World traveller, for example, TT has yet to enter that model (as of a couple of days ago, anyway) in their database and that error you are encountering will occur.

Think you'll find some days in the future, when you connect to Home, either the emulator (Operate my unit) will all of a sudden work or, at least, say you need to dl a file to make it work and then offer up the file.

Bottom line: try again in a few days........

 

[croxtom]

Sorry, it is an XL LIVE IQ Routes™ Europe. I thought this info would be displayed automatically as I have added it to my profile.

Also this feature worked in my first unit which I replaced by the shop because tomtom support told me it was corrupt due to a different issue that they couldn’t resolve (turns out it was not and I have worked it out for myself now).

 

[glen_s]

For those that want a faster way to back up to PC, and don't like using windows explorer (like me), I do it this way:

start-run-cmd
then at a command prompt: xcopy e:\*.* c:\tomtom_backups\ /e

replace the e with whatever drive letter your PC assigns it, as with the backup dir.

 

[dhn]

Your method wipes out one distinct advantage of using Explorer over Home's backup, namely you appear to always backup to the same folder, overwriting the previous backup.

How difficult is it to go Ctl-C, Ctl-V in Explorer??

 

[glen_s]

I guess I'm just showing my preference for command line over GUI interface. You're right, Ctrl-C and Ctrl V is fine and easy enough to do,but if you take the time to play with command line switches you have a lot more power. For example, you can have only files that have changed get copied, files that meet a certain date criteria, file name criteria etc. I use a command line batch file to keep folders on my networked drive in sync with my pc folders, and it only copies files that are new or have changed, both ways.

There are also GUI front ends for command line programs too, there is one for xcopy and one for robocopy, as well as a cool one called synctoy from microsoft that will syncronize two directories in both directions.

Windows explorer is fine, but options are few and if you are backing up to the same directory all the time it will simply overwrite all the files. I'm just saying there are other, faster ways to do the same thing

As far as folder names go, if you want it to go to a different folder, just type in the new path.